First Brew Question... Its bubbling...again

[Synovia]

So, I bought a 20 minute boil nut brown ale kit from midwest, for my first brew. Went through all the directions, into the primary fermenter it went. On, I believe, wednesday, 3/4/09.

I got up the next morning, and the airlock is bubbling away. Krausen, et al. Its dry yeast, and it bubbled good for about a day and a half. Seemed to calm down quite a bit. I racked to the secondary at day 7 (3/11). There was significant yeast cake at the bottom of the bucket.

It seemed like nothing was going on. At about day 3 in the secondary, I'm getting another yeast cake, but very little visible action (no krausen...there was in the primary). I come home on day 13 (yesterday, and I've got a tiny bit of foam). I come home today, a good half inch of solid foam on the top.

Now, over the last week it has become quite a bit warmer in Chicago, so I'm assuming that my yeast was probably partially dormant because my apartment was too cold. Safe assumption?


I was planning on bottling this weekend, but as it looks to be still fermenting, I think I have to wait. How much longer should I be looking at?

 

[rsmith179]

Just take a hydrometer reading to find out. If your at the gravity your recipe calls for, you'll be good to bottle. If not, let it continue sitting in the secondary until you reach that gravity. May not have left it in the primary long enough... It's all good though. Your beer will be just fine as long as you let it ferment out.

 

[david_42]

Now, over the last week it has become quite a bit warmer in Chicago, so I'm assuming that my yeast was probably partially dormant because my apartment was too cold. Safe assumption?

I'd agree with this and the hydrometer check.